<a href="http://news.sjvc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/photo-62.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-295" title="photo-6" src="http://news.sjvc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/photo-62-300x180.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="180" /></a> Compassion and desire are big components of success for students at <a title="SJVC" href="http://www.sjvc.edu">SJVC</a>.  Volunteering in industry-relevant events is one way students develop that desire.

Thanks to dental instructor Cindy Flores, <a title="SJVC Visalia" href="http://www.sjvc.edu/visalia/">SJVC Visalia’s </a>dental students had the opportunity to participate in the second California Dental Association’s Cares Event.

The Cares Event is a free dental clinic. This year’s event took place in Sacramento, California. Thirteen dental assistant students had the opportunity to go to the event.

"I wanted to wake up the compassion in their hearts and also offer them a chance to dive right into the dental field,” said Cindy.  And the event was successful at doing just that! CDA Cares gave students a chance to help people who need it but cannot afford it.

With over 2,000 participants and over 10,000 procedures, the volunteers, professionals and students truly make a huge impact.

Cindy spent hours researching places where her students could volunteer in a dental setting. After touring the website, she was incredibly impressed with the CDA’s Cares Event and what they were offering.

“Free dental care is hard to find. So many California residents have dental insurance, thus increasing the need,” explained Cindy. Another reason she decided to work with CDA was because it was a well organized and attended event that she knew her students would experience a lot of knowledge and positivity.

The Cares Event gave the students a chance to use the skills they have been taught in school to help people who need it. Helping those people who were so grateful was a truly rewarding and successful time for the SJVC students.

Cindy found the event incredibly helpful for her students.

“They came back with even more interest in dentistry.  You could hear the excitement in their voices,” she explained. “They came back with many stories to tell about patients.”

<em>Great Job Visalia <a title="Dental Assistant" href="http://www.sjvc.edu/dental-assistant/">Dental Assistant </a>students!</em>